


It's a Secret

by Iamacarrot



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Humor, I Don't Know Anymore, I enjoyed writing it, Protective Older Brothers, Splinter seems like he would do something like this, Why is this a thing I have made?, Why?, but still
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 10:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16700935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamacarrot/pseuds/Iamacarrot
Summary: Splinter decides to enter Mikey into a competition to prove that Mikey is more than he puts out; Donnie becomes a Mother Hen in response, and Raph and Leo barely have any lines.





	It's a Secret

“Orange! Where are you?! I need to speak with you privately!” Splinter loudly announced, wandering into the kitchen and raising a brow as he saw the tangled mess of Donnie, Mikey, and Leo on the floor. The boys smiled nervously, moving away from each other and standing up.

“What… happened?” Splinter asked.

“Leo and I were playing Food Criminals again, and Donnie walked in on us. After that, he started yelling at Leo for setting a “negative example” for me. Then, Leo decided to talk back, Donnie attacked him, I tried to stop them, and then we fell to the floor.” Mikey explained. Donnie and Leo huffed, crossing their arms.

“And I’m all sticky from apple juice!” Mikey added. Splinter smirked, a mischievous gleam appearing in his eye for a millisecond before he frowned. Donnie and Leo could never spend one day together without getting into a fight because of Mikey.

“Well, I need Orange to get cleaned. After, I am taking him out for a while.” Splinter hummed. Mikey gasped, eyes widening as he began to hop up and down excitedly.

“Calm down, Michael. Where are you taking him?” Donnie asked. Splinter’s ears twitched; Donnie had always been protective of Mikey from day one, and if Donnie’s suspicions grew, Splinter would never be able to take Mikey to the… secret place.

“Oh, nowhere important. Just somewhere.” Splinter replied. Donnie raised a brow, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on Mikey’s shoulders. Splinter groaned silently. Having seen his sons interact for long enough, Splinter knew this was Donnie’s way of saying he was feeling anxious about Mikey’s wellbeing.

“If it’s nowhere important, then you won’t mind if we came along then.” Donnie commented, brows raising at the sharp ‘NO!‘ he received from Splinter.

“I mean… it is nowhere of your interest. Simply a ride around the city.” Splinter fibbed. Mikey pouted, much less excited. If anything, Mikey wanted to go someplace cool and exciting, like where Splinter would sometimes disappear to on random days.

“Why do you need him for a ride around the city?” Leo inquired.

“Because I do! No more questions! Orange, go get cleaned! We will leave as soon as you are ready!” Splinter huffed, walking past his sons. The brothers looked to each other with mild concern.

“He’s up to something. Mikey, I want you to have your phone on record at all times, okay bud?” Donnie instructed. Mikey nodded, smiling as he was rewarded with a gentle head pat.

“I’m gonna go get cleaned now.” Mikey announced, walking off. Donnie smiled, waiting until Mikey was out of hearing range before glaring at Leo.

“Aw man.” Leo muttered.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Why do you want me to go with you on a ride around the city?” Mikey asked as he and Splinter got settled in the Turtle Tank. Splinter looked to Mikey, raising a questioning brow.

“Purple told you to keep your phone on record, didn’t he?” Splinter sighed. Mikey pursed his lips before nodding, pouting as he was forced to hand his phone to Splinter, who turned the phone off. Purple sure was clever for doing that.

“Now, about us going for a ride around the city… I lied.” Splinter announced, rolling his eyes at the dramatic gasp Mikey let out.

“But dad! The others trusted you! Lying is wrong!” Mikey whined. Splinter laughed loudly.

“If it is wrong, then why do you and your brothers do it?” Splinter asked, smirking as Mikey didn’t reply.

“Exactly. Besides, where I am taking you, warranted a lie. Purple would have killed both of us if I told him where we were really going.” Splinter said, an idea forming as he heard Mikey gasp softly.

“Both of us? Why would he be mad at both of us?” Mikey asked. Splinter sat quietly, trying to think of a believable response.

“Because, Orange. Since you have agreed to come with me, you have become a willing participant to the lie! If Purple finds out, he will disown you, and he will never want to speak to you again! You will have the title of a liar! Do you want that? Do you want to be known by Purple as a liar?” Splinter asked. Mikey gasped, shaking his head anxiously.

“Then I suggest you say nothing, if you want to keep Purple’s respect and love.” Splinter commented, feeling somewhat guilty when he heard the feeble ‘Okay Pop.’ come from his youngest and purest son. But it wasn’t enough to make Splinter consider turning around.

“Good. Now that we have that sorted out, I want no more questions from you until we get to where we need to be.” Splinter instructed. Mikey let out an interested hum.

“How will I know when we’re there?” Mikey asked. Splinter chuckled, stopping the tank and looking to Mikey.

“We’re here.” Splinter announced.

Mikey smiled, standing up and following Splinter outside, gasping as he came face-to-face with a large building, a multitude of mutants- or Yokai, if you want to be technical -standing and talking to each other. If this was where Splinter was really just bringing Mikey here for the day, the young ninja in training didn’t really see the point in being so secretive about it. However, there was one common theme amongst these Yokai…

“Hey dad? How come most of these Yokai-”

“What?”

“Sorry. I mean, how come most of these mutants; are young males?” Mikey asked, looking to Splinter, whose eyes widened.

“Well… that is where the truth comes in… these mutants are here to participate in what is known as the “Mr. Mini International,” and I knew that Purple would have my tail if he found out I was taking you to such an event. According to Purple, you are “too young to be exposed to such awful competitions,” saying that they encourage “spoiled behaviors” and that they “mess with brain growth.” If you ask me, that is just him trying to keep you from having fun!” Splinter scoffed.

“But, pop; Donnie always knows what he’s talking about! If he says it’s bad, then he has to be telling the truth!” Mikey whined. Splinter shook his head, chuckling.

“Orange, I understand that you and Purple are close, but you cannot believe everything he says. Remember, your brother may be older than you, but he is still just a teenager. He does not know as much as you both think he does.” Splinter advised, stroking his beard.

Mikey let out an uncomfortable hum. It made him upset, hearing his father disown Donnie’s intelligence so easily and without second thoughts. Donnie knows everything! He always said the right thing! Splinter was just trying to get to Mikey’s head!

“Dad, you shouldn’t be so quick to assume that-”

“Hush, Orange! You are starting to sound like Purple! Mayhaps it would be best if you two stayed away from each other for a while…” Splinter muttered.

“NO! I want to hang out with Donnie! You can’t tell me to-”

“I can and I WILL! Now quiet down, and follow my instructions to a T! Got it?” Splinter growled, huffing as Mikey nodded.

“Good. Let’s go.” Splinter ordered. Mikey whimpered, following Splinter into the building and pouting, head hanging low.

“Oh! Hello sir! Who is this sweet little Yokai you have with you?” a friendly Yokai asked. Splinter nudged Mikey in the side. Mikey grunted, crossing his arms before looking to the Yokai and forcing a smile.

“My name is Michelangelo. But my brothers call me Mikey.” Mikey announced. The Yokai smiled widely, taking Mikey by the hand and leading him to a room.

“Well then, Mikey; I can assure you that, here, your every demand will be met! We don’t want any of our contestants to be upset; otherwise, this would become Mr. Sad Mini International!” the Yokai giggled. Mikey chuckled, waving goodbye as the Yokai left, leaving Mikey in the room.

A group of separate Yokai then walked into the room, sitting Mikey in a comfortable chair and beginning to groom and pamper him immediately. Mikey yelped with surprise, humming with pleasure as the pampering began to get to him, leaving him to practically melt as the gentle hands of the Yokai massaged his stress away.

“See, Orange? If we continue to do this, you will get treated like royalty every day!” Splinter chimed, having walked into the room.

“Hmm… this is pretty nice… and being treated like royalty sounds enticing… Okay! I’ll keep this a secret, and I’ll do the best I can to win every competition!” Mikey giggled. Splinter cheered, giving a thumbs up to Mikey, who sighed in response to having his shell brushed.

“We have us, a champion…” Splinter muttered.

“All contestants, to their positions.” an announcer suddenly chimed, knocking on every door in the vicinity.

“Alright Orange, there is nothing to this. Just. Be. You.” Splinter explained. Mikey nodded, standing up and falling to the floor; a side effect of being so decompressed; giggling in response, which made the Yokai ‘aww’ with great affection.

Mikey then stumbled out of the room, humming a catchy tune as he made his way behind the curtains of the large stage which held the other contestants.

“Does he know how these competitions work?” one Yokai asked Splinter.

“He has nary a clue.” Splinter replied, walking out of the room and standing backstage, making sure to be ready to give Mikey any advice needed. Which would most likely be a lot.

When the competition started, Mikey and Splinter made sure to pay close attention to how the other contestants behaved, spoke, and held themselves; also noting which contestants got the most impressed looks or sweetest smiles from the three judges seated at the table in front of the stage. With this knowledge, Mikey shyly made his way to the front of the stage, smiling nervously.

“Alright, let’s see here. Michelangelo, is it?” one judge asked.

“Yes sir. That is correct.” Mikey replied.

“And it is written that you prefer to be called Mikey?” the judge inquired.

“Actually sir, it depends on preference of the speaker. Usually, the ones I am closest to have a tendency to call me Mikey. It’s an involuntary reaction for me to immediately respond best to Mikey, but I’ll respond to Michelangelo as well.” Mikey replied, gulping as the judges let out hums, writing information down before looking back up at him.

“So… Mikey… tell us a little about yourself. What are your interests? Do you have any siblings? What’s your home life like?” the second judge asked. Mikey beamed, his nervousness going away immediately as he realized he would be able to express his love of his family.

“Where do I begin, sir? I have three brothers, me being the youngest of us all; the oldest is Raphael, and he’s the self proclaimed “leader” of the four of us. Though, in all honesty, I think he has a control complex.” Mikey giggled. The judges chuckled.

“My second oldest brother is named Donatello; he’s the brains of the family. We call him Donnie, and, let me tell you; he’s nothing more than an adrenaline junkie with a brain the size of a Blue Whale. I have the strongest bond with Donnie, and I aspire to be just as smart and caring as he is!” Mikey continued. The judges smiled, writing more information down before urging Mikey to continue.

“My immediate older brother is named Leonardo. We all call him Leo, and he’s… difficult. Leo has a tendency to overexert himself and show off. Leo isn’t the best winner either. He likes to brag when he’s right, but he means the best when he isn’t being such a jerk.” Mikey sighed. The judges looked to each other, nodding before writing more information down.

“Any interests we should know about?” the second judge asked.

“Yes ma’am. I enjoy art of any kind. Painting, drawing, watercolor, dance, music, collage, you name it, I love it. I also enjoy skateboarding, engaging in scientific studies with Donnie, watching my older brothers work out, and hanging out in our homemade arcade.” Mikey replied. The judges looked to each other once more, nodding and writing more information before excusing Mikey to go backstage and prepare for the next round.

Mikey smiled, walking off of the stage and letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“How was that, pop?” Mikey asked. Splinter opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off as a few other contestants’ mothers walked up to the father-son duo.

“That was great! Where do you train?” one mother asked.

“Oh! I don’t-”

“My apologies, ladies. But it would be bad business if I were to let you know his trainer.” Splinter chuckled. The mothers hummed, nodding in understanding, offering to talk to Splinter in the lobby.

“Dad? What happens next?” Mikey asked.

“Oh. First competition, I see. Well, coming up, is an optional Talent Round. Where you can show off any talent of your choosing.” a mother replied.

“A Talent Round?! Yes!” Mikey cheered. The mothers giggled, watching Mikey race off excitedly.

“He sure is a sweet one.” one mother commented.

“Yes. And he is my sweet one, which makes all of this so much better.” Splinter replied.

~~~

“Next up, Mikey!” the Yokai running the competition announced. The crowd cheered loudly, going silent as Mikey raised his hand to calm them. The judges all raised a brow, leaning forward in interest in response to Mikey’s confident gesture.

“Okay… just like we practiced…” Mikey whispered to himself, grabbing and throwing down a smoke bomb on the floor, making the crowd ‘ooh’ in interest.

When the smoke cleared, an easel holding a medium sized canvas, and multiple buckets of paint could be seen right in front of Mikey, who had a serious look on his face. Mikey then raised a paint brush, ever so gently dripping it into a bucket holding red paint, breathing steadily before beginning to work.

As he painted, Mikey’s facial expressions changed as he chose different colors. When he chose cool colors like blue or purple, Mikey’s expression was soft and caring, whilst, when he chose to use warm colors such a red or orange, Mikey’s expression was intense and passionate. This process went on for about a minute and a half before he finished, setting the brush down on the easel and gripping the canvas from the sides, turning it towards the audience and the judges, all of them gasping at the results.

Mikey had managed to paint a beautifully detailed picture of a red dragon, the calm colors behind it making it seem less dangerous, and more like a creature of peace, which was looking at its reflection in an icy pond. The judges were astounded by how well Mikey had made each color unexpectedly melt together, how he made them fit together like puzzle pieces. The shades of the snowy mountains in the background, the creamy sky, and the nearly real pond, lily pads, grass, and surrounding wildlife creating feelings of serenity and sensitivity.

“Magnificent.” the first judge mused, looking to his fellow judges and whispering to them before writing down information.

“Next contestant, please.” the announcer chimed.

Mikey smiled, gathering his supplies with some help from crew members and walking offstage.

“Nice job, Squirt. You might just have a chance at winning.” one contestant, chuckled.

“Yeah, the bronze! You’re not nearly gold material!” another contestant taunted, making the rest of the boys laugh.

“Nice one, Doug.” the first contestant snickered.

“Thanks Chuck.” Doug replied.

“Duh. I’m a newb. It’s not like I expect to win on my very first try.” Mikey replied nonchalantly, walking off to his room.

The other contestants looked to each other in shock, wondering how Mikey was so calm about being insulted.

“This is definitely going on Donnie’s recognition wall.” Mikey hummed as he entered his room, raising a nonexistent brow as he realized that the same two contestants from before were standing in front of him.

“Hello again? Why are you in here?” Mikey asked.

“Because, Squirt! No one takes an insult from me without crying!” Chuck huffed.

“But, I just did. So… yeah.” Mikey hummed, making his assailant growl.

“No! You’re never gonna be a winner! You’ll always fail!” Chuck shouted.

“Okay. I’m cool with that. I just like doing this ‘cause it’s fun.” Mikey replied, setting his painting down. Chuck groaned loudly, pushing Mikey against a wall.

“Listen, punk! Stay outta my way, and you’ll leave with all of your limbs intact!” Chuck threatened.

“Alright.” Mikey replied, pursing his lips as Chuck whined, exiting the room.

“What was that about?” Mikey asked Doug, who said nothing and followed Chuck’s lead. Mikey shrugged, picking up his painting and sitting in his chair. Just then, Splinter walked in, a wide smile on his face.

“Orange! We are so close to winning at least second place!” Splinter announced, patting Mikey’s head. Mikey cheered, smiling with his tongue sticking out.

“Yes! Keep that attitude, and we will win, no doubt!” Splinter encouraged.

“Last round!”

“Okay Orange, be a good sport, and remember; if and when we win, do not let your brothers see the trophy!” Splinter instructed.

“Yes Sir! Mr. Dad Sir!” Mikey replied, saluting with a silly giggle.

“We have got this in the bag.” Splinter whispered.

The two then exited the room, going to their respectable places. Once he was in place, Mikey took notice of the nervousness the other contestants began showing when he walked in. Mikey was confused for a bit, but shrugged the behavior off as nervousness about the last round.

“And now, for our final round, each contestant will show off their personalities by answering a series of questions!” the Yokai running the show announced.

“Good luck boys!” Mikey quietly cheered as the curtains opened. The crowd clapped and cheered.

The first few contestants went on, each of them displaying much less confidence than before, confusing the crowd and the judges. After their turns, Mikey made his way to the front, smiling lightly at the loud cheers he received.

“Alright Mikey; if you had to choose one thing to do for the rest of your life, what would it be?” the first judge asked.

“I would choose to protect and serve my family with all I have. There’s no stronger bond than the one between a father and his sons.” Mikey replied. The crowd cheered lightly.

“Very good. Now, imagine you see a small animal, stranded, scared, and being attacked by humans; what do you do?” the second judge asked.

“I would slowly approach the humans, and calmly ask them to stop. If they don’t, then I would do my best to confidently, but not forcefully, move them away. After, I would take the animal to my brothers, help nurse it to health, and then take it to a no-kill shelter.” Mikey replied. He got even louder cheers for that.

“Final question; if you were forced to choose to save your brothers, or your father, who would you choose, and why?” the second judge asked.

“With all due respect, I would never let a situation like that get close to happening. My family is everything to me, and I would rather give my own life to keep them safe.” Mikey answered.

“What do you think would happen if you were to give your life for them? Would they be able to handle it?” the first judge asked.

“Of course not! But it is my decision to save them. There would be no arguments about it. I understand if it sounds selfish, but I could never live with myself if anyone in my family were to get hurt because of me.” Mikey replied.

“Well then, while we calculate-”

“Wait.” the third judge suddenly ordered, making everyone gasp. He hadn’t said anything for the entire competition, so why did he choose to speak now?

“Giving your own life would hurt them more than a simple injury. Are you saying that you would rather torture them with the knowledge that you chose to do so under the circumstances in order to do what they could have?” the third judge asked.

“In no way did I mean it like that. I consider every side of an argument, like my brother Donnie taught me. Seeing the pros and the cons. If I am willing to commit such an act, even with the knowledge that I would create deep scars, then it is I who must live with the consequences of such a decision. It isn’t a what could happen; it’s a what would happen.” Mikey responded.

“Exactly… well then. There will be no further questions. On you go.” the third judge commented, waving Mikey off, who nodded, walking off of the stage.

“That was deep!” one of the contestants gasped, followed by praises and words of amazement from the other contestants. Except for Doug and Chuck, of course.

“It wasn’t that impressive.” Mikey modestly denied. The others replied with dramatic gasps and arguments that it was, moving away as Splinter walked up to them.

“You never cease to amaze me, Orange.” Splinter chuckled. Mikey smiled, kneeling down and pulling Splinter into a hug. Splinter returned the gesture, pushing back after a few seconds.

“Let it be known, that, even if you do not win, your answers tonight have given me enough pride as is.” Splinter chuckled. Mikey looked to the floor in modest shyness.

“With that, our competition has come to an end! The results will be calculated by the judges, and results will be posted in at least an hour.”

“An hour? Pop, the others are gonna kill us!” Mikey whispered.

“Do not worry. We will find a way to explain.” Splinter assured.

In terms of “Speaking of the Devil,” Mikey’s phone began to ring, making him jump. When he checked his phone, Mikey began to whimper as he saw that it was Donnie.

“What do I do?!” Mikey whisper-shouted. Splinter rubbed his beard.

“Answer it, but do your best not to sound suspicious.” Splinter replied. Mikey nodded, taking a deep breath before answering the call.

“Hey Dee! How’s it going?” Mikey asked.

“Michael! Where are you two?! You’ve been out all night, and, according to the coordinates of the Turtle Tank, you’re on the opposite side of the city!” Donnie shouted.

“What? No! Your gadget must be broken! We’re right around the corner! I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time one of your gadgets backfired!” Mikey nervously chuckled.

“Even for you, that was pretty rude.” Splinter muttered. Mikey pouted.

“I know. I’m sorry Dee. I didn’t mean it. Please don’t be mad at me.” Mikey whimpered.

Donnie huffed, a slight shifting sound being made before he spoke again.

“First of all, that was very rude, and you know better. Secondly, the correct grammar would be “don’t be upset with me,” and lastly, I forgive you. For both your rude comment and slightly disappointing grammar.” Donnie sighed.

Mikey snorted. After doing so, Mikey noticed the third judge walking towards him, who had a serious look on his face. Mikey gasped.

“I’m sorry Dee! I have to go! We’ll be home in a bit! Tell Leo and Raph I love them! I Love you too! Kisses! Okay, bye-bye!” Mikey shouted speedily, hanging up and smiling nervously.

“Smooth. Not very suspicious at all.” Splinter droned.

“You’d be nervous, too.” Mikey muttered back.

“Michelangelo. Such a pleasure to meet you. I assume this is your father?” the judge hummed. Splinter and Mikey nodded.

“Well, I would just like to congratulate the both of you. Michael, for your ability to handle such pressing and uncomfortable questions, and your father for having raised such a respectful and intelligent son.” the judge hummed.

“Thank you, sir.” Mikey replied.

“Please, call me Ennard.”

“Oh, alright. Mr. Ennard.” Mikey chuckled.

“Still polite, even when he learns my name. You’ve got a good one here.” Ennard complimented, placing his hands behind his back and walking off.

“Indeed I do.” Splinter hummed.

“All contestants, to the stage. All contestants, to the stage.”

“Wow. That wasn’t nearly an hour.” Mikey hummed. Splinter shrugged, watching with pride as Mikey walked off.

“Such a good day to get away with a lie.” Splinter chuckled, ears falling flat as he caught the scent of none other than his three older sons.

“It would be, wouldn’t it?” Donnie asked.

“You _would_ show up at a time like this.” Splinter sighed, turning around and looking at Donnie, Leo, and Raph.

“What were you thinking?! Bringing Mikey to some… some… egotistically driven competition?! This isn’t the life Mikey needs to be living!” Donnie shouted.

“Who said I intended on making him do this consistently? After the last round, Orange has shown me that he is much too sophisticated and well trained to do things such as this. And, as much as I hate to say it, I owe all of those factors to you, Purple.” Splinter complimented.

“Oh please! Don’t you- wait, what?” Donnie asked.

“Yes. You heard right. Orange has turned into a mature young man, faster than I would have expected at his age. He learns so much from each of you, and every day he grows much more confident, much more intelligent, and much more modest than I could have ever been.” Splinter hummed.

“I… I-”

“DAD! I WON! First place! Look at my trophy!” Mikey cheered, stopping and gasping as he noticed his brothers.

“I mean… don’t look at this trophy I most certainly DIDN’T win!” Mikey fibbed, setting the trophy down.

“It is alright, Orange. I have vouched for you.” Splinter chuckled. Mikey looked to his brothers. Leo and Raph smiled, nodding, whilst Donnie simply stared. Mikey rubbed his hands together, looking from the floor to Donnie.

After a minute, Donnie moved towards Mikey, pulling the younger into a tight hug. Mikey smiled, returning the hug and sighing.

“Your bond certainly is as strong as you have described.” Ennard suddenly chimed.

“Never underestimate a brother’s love and loyalty, sir. Leo taught me that one.” Mikey replied, looking to Leo, who puffed out his cheeks and looked to the ceiling with embarrassment. Mikey giggled, closing one eye as Donnie placed a brotherly peck on his cheek.

“Does this mean you aren’t mad about me having this secret?” Mikey asked.

“I could care less about it being a secret. I’m just glad that you’re learning positive things from us.” Raph replied.

“I can back that up.” Leo chuckled.

“Donnie?” Mikey asked quietly.

“That makes three.” Donnie whispered. Mikey said nothing more for the time being; which was five seconds before he excitedly began explaining what had happened. The others laughed, enjoying Mikey’s ability to make even his bullying experience humorous.

“And it’s all because I’m learning from you guys! I might as well be a man now!” Mikey cheered.

“NO!” the others screamed.

**Author's Note:**

> Me and my generic-ass endings. I swear. '3'


End file.
